My insatiable appetite for sweets has led to the nickname “Cookie Monster” in my inner-circle. Indeed, I could eat a slice of tiramisu cheesecake and wash it down with an Oreo shake if I knew it wouldn’t impact my girlish figure, but alas, I’m trying to find a wife.
Still, every now and then you have to say, “Go to hell calories,” and there’s no better place to adopt that philosophy than in Paris. I’ve eaten pastries all over the world, and I love some of the things they’re doing in Italy, but I would forfeit their best Zeppole for anything out of Paris’ famed Angelina Tearoom.
I went there on my first day in Paris to buy a cup of hot chocolate after a friend praised the drink; I was not disappointed. To call it the world’s greatest hot chocolate would be unfair, because it’s easily the universe’s. Savory, rich, creamy and the absolute perfect temperature, I’m certain you will never have a cup of hot chocolate as tasty as this … and the line of patrons waiting for a seat inside the place is a testament to just how amazing their cocoa is, among other dishes.
But if you’re smart, and by reading anything on my blog I assume you are, you’ll bypass the plethora of tourists and go straight for the bakery on the righthand side of the diner. All those people standing in line are waiting for a table, but if grab your hot chocolate to go, you can be in and out of there in under 5 minutes.
Unless of course you’re me and completely overwhelmed by the endless amount of Parisian pastries being crafted to perfection by the artisans behind the counter. There’s no reason any man traveling alone should drop 23£ on pastries for himself, but I’m that guy. A little slice of Mont Blanc gateau, an éclair au chocolat and three or four macaroon and yeah … I was on a major sugar high that could probably fueled a sprint over to the Eiffel.
Located in the arcades of the Rue de Rivoli in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris, there’s no place in the city I recommend more for a sweet fix. Go. Enjoy. Thank me later. And feel free to ship me a chocolate bar from inside. I won’t mind … I swear.
